For the past few years I've been following the direction of musician Christine Kane and selecting a word to guide me through the year instead of making New Year's resolutions.  Last year it was SURRENDER - to my faith, to what needs to unfold for me, and to this creative spirit inside of me - instead of trying to control or manipulate situations I've allowed for 'God-moments' in my life.  I have to say that this year has been one of the most succesful as an artist for me and I truly believe it's because I'm learning to open up my hands and heart and learning to let go.  The year before my word was FEARLESS - because I was allowing my insecurities to dictate my life, and not always loving myself as I am...yes I am chatty, and maybe a little too friendly, and sometimes too particular (I desperately need order in my life), but I like me.  When I set that word as my intention for the year I began to grow into myself even more...my world now revolves around art - both my personal life and my business life and I have never been happier.  In fact, last year I had a necklace created with my word by Lisa Leonard which I wore with my small adirondack chair (a gift from a friend to symbolize my chair paintings as well as the AIRdirondack Project which I co-ordinated for the past two years).  This year I might order a cuff bracelet from the Rusted Chain because a physical reminder to be STILL is sometimes necessary for me, and stillness is why I choose to paint what I paint.

The work of Helen Frankenthaler (December 12, 1928 - December 27, 2011) is stunning in both its vibrant use of large flat planes of color and its immense scale.  She was known as one of the only highly exhibited female abstract expressionists whose style became known as Color Field.  I loved her method of working, pouring directly onto raw canvas and initially began my own work in that manner - I see myself returning to it when I study abstract work once again in February.  She was influenced by Jackson Pollock, Clement Greenberg & Hans Hoffman and was married to Robert Motherwell for some time.  When she experienced her first Pollock exhibit, she spoke highly of his work stating that, "It was all there.  I wanted to live in this land.  I had to live there, and master the language."

In the 1980's I had the privilege of viewing an exhibit of modern works in Minneapolis - sculptures by Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, Claes Oldenberg; paintings by Pollock, Mark Rothko, Jasper Johns among others - and I developed a huge appreciation for abstract and modern work which I hadn't developed when I studied it in books during my time in college.  Each piece drew me in and had me entranced for some time - fortunately a guard watched me closely because I didn't notice my hand stretch forward to attempt to touch the work, my response was quite visceral.  I am grateful that I have had the opportunity on more than one occasion to see these great works